Map of Antigua and Barbuda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: The islands of Antigua and Barbuda became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981. Some 3,000 refugees fleeing a volcanic eruption on nearby Montserrat have settled in Antigua and Barbuda since 1995.


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Location: Caribbean islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates: 17 03 N 61 48 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 153 km

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands with some higher volcanic areas

Elevation

Natural resources: NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Land use

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Geography


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Population: 66,422 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 0.73% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: black British Portuguese Lebanese Syrian

Languages: English (official) local dialects

Religions: Anglican (predominant) other Protestant some Roman Catholic

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.73% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 19.6 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 5.99 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.32 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production causing rainfall to run off quickly

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 23.05 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 1.92 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: constitutional monarchy with Westminster-style parliament

Capital: Saint John's

Administrative divisions: 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda* Redonda* Saint George Saint John Saint Mary Saint Paul Saint Peter Saint Philip

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 November 1981 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 1 November (1981)

Constitution: 1 November 1981

Legal system: based on English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives (17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve five-year terms)

Judicial branch: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia) (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction)

Political parties and leaders: Antigua Caribbean Liberation Movement or ACLM [leader NA]; Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's Movement or BPM [leader NA]; Progressive Labor Movement or PLM [leader NA]; United National Democratic Party or UNDP [leader NA]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER] a coalition of three opposition political parties - UNDP ACLM and PLM

International organization participation: ACP C Caricom CDB ECLAC FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Intelsat (nonsignatory user) Interpol IOC ITU NAM (observer) OAS OECS OPANAL UN UNCTAD UNESCO UPU WCL WFTU WHO WMO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
From the us: the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda

Flag description: red with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top) light blue and white with a yellow rising sun in the black band

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Tourism continues to be the dominant activity in the economy accounting directly or indirectly for more than half of GDP. In 1999 the budding offshore financial sector was seriously hurt by financial sanctions imposed by the US and UK as a result of the loosening of its money-laundering controls. The government has made efforts to comply with international demands in order to get the sanctions lifted. The dual island nation's agricultural production is mainly directed to the domestic market; the sector is constrained by the limited water supply and labor shortages that reflect the pull of higher wages in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type assembly for export with major products being bedding handicrafts and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the industrialized world especially in the US which accounts for about one-third of all tourist arrivals.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.8% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,200 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: cotton fruits vegetables bananas coconuts cucumbers mangoes sugarcane; livestock

Industries: tourism construction light manufacturing (clothing alcohol household appliances)

Industrial production growth rate: 6% (1997 est.)

Labor force: 30,000
By occupation commerce and services: 82%
By occupation agriculture: 11%
By occupation industry: 7% (1983)

Unemployment rate: 7% (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.6% (1999 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $38 million (1998)
Commodities: petroleum products 48% manufactures 23% food and live animals 4% machinery and transport equipment 17%
Partners: OECS 26% Barbados 15% Guyana 4% Trinidad and Tobago 2% US 0.3%

Imports: $330 million (1998)
Commodities: food and live animals machinery and transport equipment manufactures chemicals oil
Partners: US 27% UK 16% Canada 4% OECS 3%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $357 million (1998)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)


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Electricity
Production: 90 million kWh (1998)
Consumption: 84 million kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 20,000 (1994)
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $N/A
Percent of gdp: NA%

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 3 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; more significant as a drug-money-laundering center